Professional Cycling For the Fans - help from motos

I wonder how much of the peleton's speed can be attributed to the motos. We have all seen breaks launch off the back of a camera bike, but also, you can see the main pack 10 m or so back from the lead moto on a descent and flats at speed.

I wonder if you can attribute some of the modern peleton's speed to the increase of media and police motos.

There are many many reasons for the increase in speed. Better equipment, better training, more support, and the new professionalism of cycling (you can pick your race calendar more carefully).

To the motos help probably, but I doubt it is even noticeable compared to things like derailurs.

Not much imo. Generally the rules prohibit riders from taking advantage of the motorcycle's draft as far as I know. Surely sometimes riders can take advantage of the motorcycles but as a rule that shouldn't be the case. Attributing the average speed of the peloton to the motos would be extremely minimal at best imo. It sometimes is a topic of discussion under special circumstances; for example ITTs sometimes or when the motorcycles actually slow down cyclists trying to attack in a mountain stage.

eta: there have been motorcycles in the Grand Tours for a looooong time btw, since before WWII for sure.

but also, you can see the main pack 10 m or so back from the lead moto on a descent and flats at speed.

You don't get a meaningful draft off a single moto 10m ahead, this I know from experience...

This thread reminded me of a little antic dote regarding help from Moto’s and racing as told by my Grandfather (who liked to tell stories).
My grandfather raced for Caraglio Bicycle (Caraglize Bicicletta</SPAN></SPAN>) in Northern Italy back in the late 30’s on a Legnano. His uncle Franco in the neighboring city of Cuneo (still a stop for the Giro) had a small moto.
Franco tells my grandfather, “Guillermo, you be the first to the climb and I’ll give you help with some invisible rope.” Just grab it and pinch it between you finger and the handle bars and I’ll tow you up the mountain.”
So my grandfather breaks away to be the first rider to begin the climb. And sure enough, there is his uncle on the moto pacing him about 20 yards ahead. And floating in the air is the invisible rope. He said he was able to catch it in the air, pinch it like instructed and was towed to the summit. This invisible rope was soon to be discovered as DuPont’s newly invented Monofilament fishing line. He said he wasn’t the only one to try this.
We asked him about this and if he thought it was cheating. He said the riverly between the local towns was visious. He said that usually, you had to be the first rider through your own town. This was because the locals would sometimes throw tacks on the ground to slow the rivals. ;)

I'd put far more of increase in speed to more riders and more teams. Add in the fairly new tactic of riding fast enough to prevent attacks (for major portions of a stage, not jsut the last 20 kms or so) and you see a major increase in speed. It also seems that in hte last 5-10 years there have been a lot more stages where the racing starts from KM 1, where if yuo go back a ways there seemed to be a lot more stages with 50-100 kms of warmup (but of course with the chance someone would attack).

Oops forgot, shorter stages!

There is a mental benefit of having something to chase after increasing your speed(such as the way Nibali bridged the gap today) but its not a direct benefit in speed, so much as a mental goal and something to strive for.

There is a mental benefit of having something to chase after increasing your speed(such as the way Nibali bridged the gap today) but its not a direct benefit in speed, so much as a mental goal and something to strive for.

this

Here is me chasing the moto

http://www.photoscene.com/kimandsteve/images/5891.jpg